This was stated by retired U.S. Army General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Wesley Clark in an interview with Espreso TV.“Had we acted promptly and provided artillery, HIMARS, F-16s, ATACMS, munitions, and small arms quickly to Ukraine, the tide of Russian attacks might have turned,” Clark said.“The early successes seen in September 2022 might have been repeated or continued on a larger scale, but the United States failed to stand up to the threats of Russian aggression. As a result, this war is still ongoing.”Clark drew comparisons between the Middle East conflict and Russia’s war on Ukraine.“Israel has essentially been on a defensive wartime footing for many years, preparing to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile threat, as well as Iran’s terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” he noted.“The United States has provided virtually unlimited assistance to Israel in its defensive posture against Iran. According to news reports, we have expended around 25 percent of our own anti-missile stockpile to protect Israel during this period. These are missiles that cannot be easily replaced, given the current rate of production in the United States,” Clark said.Ukraine hasn’t received that kind of support from the United States, the general noted.Clark stressed that defense alone is not enough for Ukraine to win the war.“So as much as we aim to be effective in defense, simply holding the line will not decide this conflict. It could be lost that way, but it cannot be won,” he emphasized.He also highlighted the importance of Ukraine striking deep into Russia’s logistics and military-industrial infrastructure:“Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russia’s logistical centers is critical to the success of the war effort… However, here is the challenge: the objective must go beyond symbolic or one-time actions. The goal must be sustained destruction of these systems inside Russia.”Finally, Clark made clear that Western support — particularly from NATO — must remain steadfast:“The conflict in Ukraine is buying time for NATO countries to rearm and prepare to deter and confront Russia if it continues its aggression… In the meantime, I want to emphasize that, in my view, the first priority of NATO nations must be to provide Ukraine with the assistance needed to bring the conflict to a successful resolution.”“That includes Crimea, which must be considered an integral part of Ukraine, not only because it was seized illegally, but also because the maritime boundaries in the Black Sea are extremely unfavorable to Ukraine if Crimea remains under Russian control,” he summed up.